Turkey blacks out satellite channel

BBC Monitoring is reporting that satellite transmissions of Turkey-based IMC TV were blacked out on February 24th, with the country’s public prosecutor’s office saying the channel was “making terror organisation propaganda”.

The channel’s Internet streaming continues, but the station Tweeted that there had been an interruption in its broadcasts.

The Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office is reported to have demanded the cancelation of the channel’s frequency for allegedly making propaganda for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK).

The public prosecutor’s office reportedly sent a file to Turkey’s top satellite network, TURKSAT, it had launched an investigation following complaints. It had demanded that Turkey’s media watchdog the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) examine various IMC TV broadcasts made between May 3rd and September 4th 2015. Upon examination, legal experts concluded that the channel made PKK/KCK propaganda, according to the prosecutor, which ultimately demanded a review of the station’s satellite frequency, quotes BBC Monitoring.

Previously, seven TV channels, including a children’s station, belonging to companies known to be close to the Fethullah Gulen movement, were removed from TURKSAT and Turkey’s leading pay satellite operator, Digiturk.